A Solitary Walker's Reflections: An Illustrated Edition

Author: Rousseau
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Voltaire ended an era, and Rousseau began another. — [German] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Rousseau, this solitary walker, like the author of the innovative work Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, is full of contradictions. The beautiful title he chose can be seen as an arrogant affirmation, or perhaps a sigh of sorrow. The physical solitude this thinker longed for became a cruel torment for this emotional and suffering individual. — [French] Jacques Vaché
Rousseau is immortal. — [Russian] Leo Tolstoy
In this book, Rousseau, who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, finally rises in a "sweet and profound fantasy" through conversations with nature. In this book, we see not Rousseau overwhelmed by life's disasters and solitude, but Rousseau who rekindles the tranquility and sweetness of life in nature. Discarding the greed and vanity of high society, he begins to deeply examine his own soul; unwilling to hold a "position that is fundamentally unsuitable for me," he starts copying music scores for payment per page. He "is lost in the charm of nature, lost in thought in a world of silence, occasionally broken only by the screech of eagles, the chirping of birds, and the roar of rushing mountain streams." In this complete silence, Rousseau truly feels his own existence. In this feeling of fulfillment and tranquility, the life of Rousseau also shines with a brilliant light. In his later years, Rousseau finally learned to transcend the mundane, just as he himself had hoped, his life completely immersed in happiness. It is precisely because of his innocence that the last days of his life can radiate a brilliant light in the contemplation of nature.